Bulgogi

불고기
Korean-style marinated beef BBQ

Hi everybody!
I’m eventually posting a video for bulgogi today. I posted a simple bulgogi recipe a few years ago but it was without a video.

Delicious bulgogi depends on three things: a good cut of beef, a delicious marinade, and the method you use to cook it. So I am very pleased to release the best bulgogi recipe that I’ve ever made: it has all 3 of these elements.

First, a good cut of beef always makes for delicious bulgogi. I mentioned using steak in the video: sirloin, tenderloin, or skirt steak. But you still can make good bulgogi without these choice cuts. Whatever you use, it’s very important to choose marbled beef: leaner cuts like brisket will turn out too tough. Cut the beef thinly against the grain to make it easier to chew, and marinate overnight. The marinade will tenderize the beef and it’ll turn out delicious over a charcoal BBQ.

Secondly, the marinade: the marinade in this recipe is the best that I’ve yet developed. But as I’m constantly experimenting with marinades, I may still develop a better one! I’ll let you know if I do. Feel free to modify the ratios here to your taste, or develop your own marinade. If you do, let me know how it turns out. Also, if you can’t find a Korean pear, use ripe bosc pear: 1 small bosc pear for 1 pound of beef is good.

Thirdly, when we talk about the best cooking methods, grilling over charcoal will always be the best. This is because the marinade, juices and fats drip off the meat onto the coals, burn up there, and then come back to the beef in a wonderful smoke that covers the meat with flavor. You can’t beat charcoal for bulgogi.

I was invited to my friend’s BBQ party in the Catskills in upstate New York a while ago. About 20 people got together and everybody brought something to grill. I prepared bulgogi beef, spicy pork, and bulgogi mushrooms for vegetarians. I was very excited to shoot the video because it would be a wonderful chance for you to see how you can enjoy Korean BBQ in the best conditions.

Everybody loved my bulgogi! Surprisingly my marinated bulgogi mushrooms got a lot of compliments. I was so satisfied to see their happy faces when they tasted it. I can imagine all of your happy faces when you share this with your friends and family.

Also, the recipe for the spicy pork BBQ in this video will be posted soon!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of beef tenderloin, sliced thinly into pieces ½ inch x 2 inches and ⅛ inch thick

Marinade (for 1 pound of beef):

  • ½ cup of crushed pear
  • ¼ cup onion purée
  • 4 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 chopped green onion
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 2 tbs brown sugar (or 1 tbs of brown sugar and 1½ tbs rice syrup)
  • a pinch of ground black pepper
  • 1 tbs toasted toasted sesame oil
  • several thin slices of carrot

Directions

  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Add the sliced beef and mix well.
  3. You can grill, pan-fry, or BBQ right after marinating, but it’s best to keep it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for a tougher cut of beef. Serve with ssamjang.

for Vegetarians:
Use the same marinade above and replace beef with mushrooms. You’ll need 10-12 large dried shiitake mushrooms. Add a few white mushrooms if you like them.

  1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for several hours until they’re soft.
  2. Squeeze out any excess water and slice each mushroom thinly.
  3. Slice some white mushrooms, carrot, and onion.
  4. Mix all of it together in the marinade.
  5. Grill, pan-fry, or BBQ.

Posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 2:57 pm. Last updated on August 7, 2021.
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121 Comments:

  1. NicholasC Nashville, TN joined 6/18 & has 2 comments
    Posted June 8th, 2018 at 9:58 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi! I love your videos and recipes. They inspired me to push my passion for cooking and baking to the next level. Thank you. :)

    I am very excited to see how this goes. I am using ribeye that is 3/8 ” thick. I was able to find Korean Soy sauce , pear, and rice syrup. Using all fresh produce. I am planning on letting it marinate for at least 15 hours. Is this too long? I guess I will find out tomorrow afternoon.

  2. WildRose85 Oregon joined 10/13 & has 6 comments
    Posted January 17th, 2018 at 1:19 am | or create a profile.

    Korean BBQ is everyone’s favorite. Best thing to have on hand is an iron skillet, some kitchen shears, plenty of leafy greens, and some beer!

  3. paskinmath Philadelphia, PA joined 11/17 & has 3 comments
    Posted November 30th, 2017 at 3:32 pm | or create a profile.

    can you substitute pork? If so, which cut do you recommend? Around here pork is $1-3 a pound where beef is $4-12 a pound lately. I can get a whole pork picnic shoulder for the same price as an average steak.

  4. miah98 Viet Nam joined 10/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted October 25th, 2017 at 11:26 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi maangchi,
    Firstly, I wanna say thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes. It’s nothing better than tasting a real Korean dish without going to costly restaurants.
    I have made this dish thousands of time and it turns out so well. However, I wonder whether I can store the marinade in fridge for future use or not. If yes, how long can the marinade still in good condition?

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
      Posted October 26th, 2017 at 7:24 am | or create a profile.

      You can freeze the marinade up to 1 month and thaw out at room temperature or in the fridge when you use it again. You can keep it in the fridge but you will have to use it up in 3 to 4 days because the flavor will change as time goes on.

  5. livmekela Florida joined 6/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 30th, 2017 at 12:14 pm | or create a profile.

    I used the marinade recipe for tofu and it makes the most delicious meat alternative! Thank you Maangchi!

  6. Astarria Canada joined 3/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 17th, 2017 at 7:07 pm | or create a profile.

    Hello, I was wondering if I wanted to make a spicy version do I just add gochujang? and if so, how much?

  7. TammiUnnie Florida joined 1/17 & has 3 comments
    Posted January 18th, 2017 at 10:39 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi! I was wondering if you could help me out. I’ve always wanted to try Bulgogi, but I’ve never actually had it because most recipes use pear for tenderizing the meat, and, unfortunately, I am allergic to peaches, pears, apples, and cinnamon. Is there any alternative to pears, or an alternative recipe I can try?

  8. kite76 Northern California joined 6/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted June 21st, 2016 at 6:28 am | or create a profile.

    I have just started making Korean BBQ. Family loves it! The grill pan you use in your video is interesting. Where can I purchase one. Thanks!

  9. goyogoyong joined 11/15 & has 3 comments
    Posted June 19th, 2016 at 9:11 pm | or create a profile.

    Ahnyeong haseo Maangchi! Sunbaenim my wife is diabetic. Can I substitute splenda for the brown sugar? Also can I substitute splenda for the honey in the ssamjang?

    Kamsahamnida.

  10. bluejello SoCal joined 5/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 22nd, 2016 at 4:18 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi, I’ve tried several and love all of them. I was just wondering, what the carrots add, if anything, to the marinade?

  11. luv2eat ak,oh joined 5/16 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 21st, 2016 at 8:59 am | or create a profile.

    I love,love your recipes. I especially using bulgogi as my filling for siopao. Instead of grilling it, I pressure cook the bulgogi including the juice then thicken it with tapioca or corn starch.

  12. hennihette Germany joined 2/16 & has 2 comments
    Posted February 24th, 2016 at 8:10 am | or create a profile.

    SOOOOO GOOOOOD! thank you sooo much for this recepie!!! tastes better than the emart bulgogi! now I can have korean bulgogi in germany c: <3


    See full size image

  13. Lsudeene joined 7/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 22nd, 2015 at 1:56 pm | or create a profile.

    Hey Maangchi, I can’t seem to find or get Jinganjang, but do you think kecap manis would work too?

  14. munchjenn joined 7/15 & has 3 comments
    Posted July 19th, 2015 at 9:22 pm | or create a profile.

    I want to make this recipe so badly and I see that you have great reviews. My one concern is I don’t have the resource to cook on a grill or buy another pan at the moment (I’m a student). So, would it be okay to cook in a pan on the stove? I understand the goal is that the beef doesn’t retain the liquid in the pan.. so I don’t know what to do.

    • munchjenn joined 7/15 & has 3 comments
      Posted July 19th, 2015 at 9:24 pm | or create a profile.

      Never mind, I searched through your responses to other fans. Thank you so much :)

      • jsp73 joined 3/15 & has 32 comments
        Posted May 27th, 2016 at 2:02 am | or create a profile.

        There’s a very old secret to “grilling” on a stove. There’s a small learning curve to it, but it is well worth it. Koreans use stone and, sometimes, cast iron for cooking. Both share similar thermal properties. Very few materials can get so blazing hot on a regular stove top. Cast iron pans are cheap (…until you become a collector of vintage stuff) and they will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

        The goal is to get your pan hot enough to evaporate moisture before your dish becomes soup. Cast iron can do that easily (as can stone… I really want a nice set of Korean dolsot).

  15. HungryMike joined 6/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 14th, 2015 at 8:49 pm | or create a profile.

    So, it looks like you drain the marinade and remove carrots and onions before cooking?

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